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Thursday, June 10, 2010

The 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 6 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers on NBC Sports was the most-watched and highest-rated NHL game in 36 years.

Last night’s game – which saw the Blackhawks defeat the Flyers, 4-3, on a goal by Patrick Kane 4:06 into overtime to give Chicago its first Stanley Cup since 1961 and end the NHL’s longest championship drought – was watched by 8.28 million viewers, the most since 1974 (8.29 million viewers, Boston-Philadelphia, Game 3 on NBC), 43 percent higher than last year’s Game 6 (5.8 million viewers) and four percent higher than last year’s Game 7 (8.0 million).

Game 6 posted a national household rating of 4.7 and an 8 share, making it the highest-rated NHL game in 36 years (7.6/27, Boston-Philadelphia, Game 6, 1974 on NBC), 38 percent higher than last year’s Game 6 (3.4/6) and nine percent higher than last year’s Game 7 (4.3/8).

Additional Ratings Notes:
Game 6 peaked at a 6.2/11 from 11-11:20 p.m. ET when Kane scored the game-winner and the Blackhawks celebrated their victory. NBC Sports broadcast four of the series’ six games (1-2, 5-6). Those
four games averaged 6.1 million viewers, the best network-TV series average in 13 years (6.4 million, Detroit-Philadelphia, one game on Fox in 1997) and up nine percent vs. last year (5.6 million viewers).
The average-series rating was a 3.4/6, the best on network TV in eight years (2002, 3.6/7, Carolina-Detroit on ABC) and up 10 percent vs. 2009 (3.1/6).
Chicago averaged a 25.2/41 rating for the four network-TV games.
Philadelphia averaged a 19.6/30.